Royal Caribbean International is Chasing the Family Market

Royal Caribbean International had more than 200 Irish trade on board a preview sailing of its newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, from Barcelona. “We are delighted to have our key trade partners onboard,” said Ben Bouldin, Managing Director UK & Ireland. They know what a good ship this is and we are totally committed to working with Irish travel agents.

“Already 20 % of Irish bookings for this year are for Symphony of the Seas, sailing from Barcelona. Royal Caribbean International has consistently maintained its position as the market leader on the island of Ireland. However, the market is changing and, despite increased competition, we have retained market share. In fact, Northern Ireland is the strongest performer in the region.

He sees further growth to the Caribbean now that Aer Lingus is flying from Dublin non-stop to Miami. He also welcomes the new route by Aer Lingus from Dublin to Seattle, which will open up the Alaska gateway for Royal Caribbean.

Mary McGrath, TUI Kilkenny, is welcomed onboard by Jennifer Callister, Royal Caribbean International

When asked was he optimistic about the future for cruising, Ben Bouldin said: “RCI has 10 new ships on order for delivery over the next 10 years.” Now that’s confidence in the product!

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Michael Flood is the Editor of Ireland's leading travel industry publication, Irish Travel Trade News. With more than 35 years experience, he has accumulated an in-depth knowledge of the airline industry and the travel and tourism world.